What I Read, Loved, and Still Think About

The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of The University of Scranton.

Being a few months away from the end of the year, I have happily exceeded my Goodreads goal for the year—a whomping 52 out of 40 books! I have read a mixed bag of books, from plays and even a few epic poems, that I found myself enjoying. Out of the 45 books I have read, I will be sharing a few of my faves in no particular order. 

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

            Classics have always been a bit scary for me to read. I might have bit off more than I could chew when I attempted Pride and Prejudice in middle school, a classic Rory Gilmore move, and quickly gave up. It wasn’t until one of my British Lit courses that I learned that books come in all sorts of editions; certain editions making it easier to read than others, and the jackpot was Broadview Classics. Wuthering Heights was such a beautiful, haunting read, and I am so tempted to have a tattoo inspired by the novel. 

It explores the generational trauma, learning to break harmful cycles, and has even supernatural undertones to it. Seeing Heathcliff and Catherine come together, and break apart, and even seeing that in their descendants, was beautiful. I’m saddened that this was Brontë’s only published novel because I wanted nothing more than to consume all her pieces of work. Autumn is such a perfect time to read the novel, and I would pay so much money to be able to read it for the first time. 

Strange Pictures by Uketsu

            I came across Uketsu’s other work, Strange Houses, at Barnes & Noble on my 21^st birthday. It wasn’t until a few weeks after, I decided to move Strange Pictures from to-be-read to currently-reading on my Goodreads. I always felt hesitant about purchasing short novels, as I knew I would finish the story quite quickly. Lucky for everyone, the library is free, and after a few weeks’ wait, Strange Pictures was ready for me to borrow and download onto my Kindle. 

An eerily disturbing novel, the mystery was hidden between the pictures displayed, and it was incredible seeing all the pictures connect. Each section of the novel followed the pictures, leading to the end, an outsider solving the mystery. Even though it was a quick read, I loved it. It was creepy, intriguing, and I racked my brain trying to figure everything out. I loved it more than Strange Houses, and I highly recommend it for anyone into a thrilling, eerie read. 

the house of my mother by Shari Franke 

            I’ve watched the 8 Passengers briefly over the years, and when news came out that the mother, Ruby Franke, got arrested, I soon fell into a rabbit hole of the 8 Passengers lore. Shari Franke shares in her memoir about her relationship with her mother, growing up Mormon, and the trauma she and her siblings had endured even before the fame that came with their YouTube channel. It was chilling, and often uncomfortable listening to how her mother would abuse her children mentally and verbally—all to keep up this persona of being like any other family. 

            Last March, I would slip my headphones in soon after I woke up, walking around my apartment as Shari’s voice filled my ears. Hearing her retell these painful memories and experiences, even reliving them, was difficult. She touched on a variety of topics pertinent to telling her story, such as the ways her narcissistic mother strained Shari’s relationship with her siblings, the isolation she felt when she moved out for college and left her siblings to the wrath of her mother. There are a few trigger warnings that I would be aware of before reading, and I highly recommend listening to the house of my mother via audiobook!

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

            Picking up an Agatha Christie novel truly flipped a switch in my brain. I practically spent my entire summer reading her mystery novels, and a few of her other novels under a pseudonym: Mary Westmacott. For years, I considered myself an avid romance reader, refusing to branch out unless forced to in my literature courses. Agatha Christie’s novels are truly something else, and I found her writing to be quite accessible. 

One of my favorite reads of hers this year was And Then There Were None. A thrilling novel that follows 10 people on an island, all invited by an anonymous person. Suddenly, they start dying one by one. The first death? Probably an accident, nothing major. The second, third, and fourth? There is a murderer amongst them, but who? No matter how many of her novels I read, I have never been able to figure out who done it, but it took nothing away from the experience of reading her novels, which always remain such great ones. 

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